Inspiration: You're great! Celebrate.

As I was watching Serena Williams give Oprah a pedicure on Ms. Oprah's show today (Super surreal, I know! But if you you missed it, http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Celebrities-Take-on-Their-Dream-Jobs) Oprah said something that packed a pursuasive punch!



"You cannot pretend to be less than you are. You carry such a big light! You cannot go around dimming your light just to be with someone else!"



Which had me thinking. As adults, how often do we celebrate our greatness..?





If you asked children what they want to be when they grew up, they would yell out their answers without blinking twice. Children are bold in their choice of clothes, toys, and other forms of entertainment. It's always entertaining to hear a child's candid opinion of what they want or how they feel about every subject under the sun. To instill confidence, we would encourage them to celebrate their achievements regardless of how insignificant or "simple" they may seem to adults. We would acknowledge their efforts and reward them with hugs, followed by a roaring applause, treats, and maybe even a trip to the toy store. No matter what the accomplishment a child successfully delivers, we would simply...celebrate.




Enter adulthood.


And with adulthood comes the introduction to self-doubt. Self-doubt is like a crafty magician who lures you in with the slight of hand into believing what is clearly an illusion - a trick! Self-doubt questions, hesitates, discredits, confuses every decision we make. Worse, it acts like an impenetrable wall obstucting our views of how we should see ourselves and how we are meant to be seen. Simply put, we should see ourselves as powerful beings of light!


To further the cause of protecting your magnificent light, here are three simple steps to keep those critical, deceitful, and dishonest negative voices at bay.

*Be your own advocate of GREATNESS - Yup, it starts with YOU. To claim that you are a powerful and positive being of light, you have to think it, speak it, and act it! Set up little reminders, notes or messages of how valuable (no matter how big or small) your contributions are to your work, family and friends. Develop a frame of mind to applaud your own greatness in concrete ways on a daily basis.



*GREAT minds think alike - Surround yourself with people who appreciate your gifts, talents, humor and enthusiam! Steer clear of mud-sligers and disparagers, for they will deminish your light. You don't need to prove yourself to anyone or justify your aspirations and plans. Your main goal in life, is to be YOU.



* To give is to be GREAT - One of the best ways to act on your greatness is to share your time, money (if possible) and skills to those in need. Give without expecting anything in return. That could be from setting time aside to listen to a friend, to help a family member who needs your support (emotional or otherwise) or to volunteer of your time and energy into your community. I've always believed that if the intention behind your contributions (financial or otherwise) are cheerful and genuine, then goodness and abundance will come back to you ten fold.


Yes, I do believe in Karma.


And so far, things are working out to my advantage. : )



Finally, I think that we are all extraordinary in some way. Yet, it’s so easy to direct our attention to our imperfections and weaknesses rather than praise our positive qualities. Remember, that you give more life to whatever you focus on - good or bad. So why not hone in on the part of you that's great?





Please share this to those who may need a reminder that they are magnificent, powerful, and brilliant beings of light. All they need to do is to take a step forward and own their radiance! : )






Laugh, Love, Live Positive